MANKATO, Minn. – The St. Olaf College softball team opened its 2022 season by splitting two games at the Bethany Kwik Trip Invitational on Saturday, falling 2-1 to Nebraska Wesleyan University before blanking Northland College, 5-0, at the Maverick All-Sports Dome.

In the opener, St. Olaf (1-1) trailed 2-0 entering the seventh inning before mounting a rally in its final inning at the plate, but left the tying run at third against Nebraska Wesleyan (2-0). In game two, the Oles bounced back behind a five-hit shutout from sophomore Jenna Peschel and a home run from first year Emma Simons.

Nebraska Wesleyan 2, St. Olaf 1 | Box Score

The Prairie Wolves scored single runs in the first and second inning to stake Kailey Meyer to an early lead and Meyer held the Oles scoreless over the first six innings in a complete-game win. Meyer struck out six and allowed just four hits and two walks in the win for NWU.

Nebraska Wesleyan got a two-out RBI single by Val Gerlach in the first inning and a two-out RBI double by Addison Duranski in the second inning to take a 2-0 lead. The early runs were the only runs surrendered by senior Carly Dammann, who struck out six and allowed just three hits in the second complete game of her career.

St. Olaf got a runner on base in every inning but the second but could not generate a run until the seventh. After back-to-back walks to senior Kaleigh Santmyer and first year Medora Rylee to start the inning, junior Maya Patty moved both runners up with a sacrifice bunt. Senior Abby Grismer followed with an RBI ground out before Meyer got a strikeout to end the game and strand the tying run 60 feet away.

St. Olaf 5, Northland 0 | Box Score

Peschel scattered five hits and two walks while striking out three in the first shutout of her collegiate career to pitch the Oles to the shutout of the LumberJills. The sophomore got 12 ground-ball outs in the victory, which was the third complete game of her career.

Simons gave Peschel the only run she would need with a one-out home run to center field in the bottom of the second and twin sister Hannah Peschel was 2-for-4 with a pair of runs scored for St. Olaf.

Northland got two runners in scoring position with two away in the first inning before Jenna Peschel got a grounder back to the circle to get out of the inning unscathed. After Simon's home run, the Oles added a second run in the third on a ground out by sophomore Katie Weisheit after a three-base Northland error allowed Hannah Peschel to reach to start the inning.

St. Olaf added three insurance runs in the fifth, scoring on an RBI ground out by Santmyer, a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch to junior Andrea Conway, and a sacrifice fly off the bat of sophomore Anne Fossum. The damage came after senior Tarah DeCroock walked to start the inning and Hannah Peschel and Weisheit followed with singles to fill the bases.

Jenna Peschel took care of the rest, retiring the final seven batters of the game to complete the shutout.

The Oles complete opening weekend by taking on Buena Vista University (11:30 a.m.) and Bethany Lutheran College (1:45 p.m.) on Sunday, Feb. 20.